Comb for tobacco feeders



R. R. KARICH COMB FOR TOBACCO FEEDERS Filed Aug. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR.

A TTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 usurp STATES FATE when R. KARICH, or JAMAICA, NEW yonnnssmnoit T EBco MACHINE TION, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y., A c'onronarrou or mew YORK I r COMB FOR monAcco FEEDERS I Appli'cationfileil August 16, 1929. Serial No: 386,250.

This invention relates to combs for tobacco feeders.

A'feature of the present invention is the provision of adjustable self-adjusting fingers of a comb for tobacco feeders and particularly-in association with drums, rolls and other actuated members provided with carding.

Pursuant to specific embodiments set forth more particularly hereinafter, my comb is applicable in association with the main carding drum of the carding mechanism of a cigarette making machine comprises a casing, usually adjustably supported and a plurality of fingers of the desired number respectively individually self-adjusting and preferably individually resiliently adjust able. Usually the number of fingers corresponds to the number of peripherally related tooth spaces ofthe carding, and the free end of each finger-is outwardly tapered at its terminus and provided with acu'rved effective face adjacent such tapered portion and brought into frictional engagement with the tobacco shreds filling the tooth spaces, to

thereby more effectually attain the regulatory functions of the comb, as will appear more fully hereinafter. I

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description of the accompanying drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional view illustrating the use of my improvedcomb in association with the main carding drum of a carding mechanism of a cigarette making machine of the rod-forming type; I i Fig. 2 is a detail elevation, on a large scale, of one embodiment of my invention, the cover being broken away in part to'show otherwise hidden elements, and

Fig. 3 is asectional elevation on line 83 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is largely diagrammatic in representation, and illustrates a conventional type of hopper 10 and therein enclosed carding mechanism including a main carding drum 11 which is rotated on its horizontal axis 12 in the direction of the arrow 13, and is provided with carding, the teeth 14' of which are inclined in the direction of its rotation; The drum 15 is a brushing or dressing drum which is rotated, usually intermittently, on its horizontal axis 1-6 in the direction 'of'they arrow'17. The drum 15 is "shown provided with cardingthe teeth 18 of which are inclined reversely to the direction of its ro tation. At 19 is indicated a fan or equiva NT. oFF cs oonzeonA- lent usually employed with the. dressing or brushing drum, as will be understood;

7 The feed of shredded toba'cco'charged into' the hopper, upon removal of its cover 20,fis-

illustrated by the use of an-endless conveyor belt 21, the upper stretch 22 of which is 6 5.

driven in the direction of the arrow 23.

Mv improved'comb is indicated at24, the

details of which are illustrated and described more fully hereinafter. In this instance of use, my comb functions as a so-called front comb, that is to say, on the downwardly moving side ofthe main carding drum 11; in such instance of use it is associated with-a picker roll 25 which may be rotated in the direction of the indicated arrow 26 for the discharge of the carded tobaccoshreds from the tooth spaces ofthe carding of the main carding drum 1].. Such discharge, 'indicated at 27, may be directly into 'thechute 28 upon the upper face of the travelling continuous 'web 29 of cigarette paper, shown slidingly supported within the regulation slotted guide plate 30, or such discharge 27 may be upon a regulation endless conveyor i I belt, which in turn discharges the carded tobacco into such chute. as will. be understood by those skilled in the art.

In the copen'ding application of William F. Grupe, Serial"No .-863,78 5, filed ;M ay' 17,

1929, entitled Carding mechanism for cigal rette making machines, is illustrated another instance of use of my improved front comb.

As one preferred embodiment of my invention, my front comb includes an angle bar member 31, which is provided with flanges 32, see Fig.2, at its opposite ends said flanges being provided with openlngs for receiving screws 33 or equivalent for adiustable attachment or securement to the side boards of the hopper proper, one, 34, only being indicated in Fig. 2 The casing further includes a hollow body portion 35, the bottom 35a of which is substantially flat at its under face 856 and open at its posterior side 350. The face 35d at the anterior terminus of the bottom plate 35a is outwardly tapered to conform to and-act as a stop for the respective fingers 36. p 7

Each pin 36 is mounted to be articulated about a suitable fulcrum, and as a simple and effective type of articulation each finger 36 is provided with a curved head arranged to be pivotally seated within complemental or other suitable curved seats, as appears more fully hereinafter. l y

The anterior portion 850 of the casing body 35 is provided with a series of arcuate recesses 37 corresponding in number to the IWlllCll is preferably removably secured in position by set screws 41.

comb fingers36 and serving as a bottom seat and fulcrum of the respective comb fingers. The angle bar member 31 serves to support the casing body portion 35 by means of screws 38 passing through suitable openings inthe anglebar member 31 and into tapped openings-Within the anterior portion 35c.

The casing further includes the cover 40 To the under face of the cover 40 is secured screws 42 the bar 43 having curved fulcrum seats which correspond in number and in complementary register with the respective seats 37 ofthe 'anterior'casing' portion 856. i

Preferably,the comb fingers '36 are individually resiliently adjusted, and as a simple embodiment of this feature of my invention, springs 44 are provided individually for .the respective comb fingers 36, one end 45 of 2 each spring being secured to its set screw enclosing a lug the individual comb fingers 36.

V 46, the head of which extends through its '40 screw threaded opening 47 and provided with a slot 48 which is thus disposed to be acces sible exteriorlyof the casing for application of-a-screw driver or other suitable ,tool for ndividual adjustment. g

- Each spring 44 is preferably ofhelix for mation, its free end being recelved about and 49 or equivalent carried by Such arrangement effects a simple assembly and disassembly of the comb fingers and provides for ready inspection of the fingers by mere removal of'the cover 40. The'individual resilient spring affords individual adjustment ofthe comb fingers arising from shredded tobacco comprises "from 25% to 40% of so-called shorts, that is to say, tobacco shreds of relatively short lengths and the remainder in substantially equal proportion of shreds of relatively long and inter mediate shred lengths, thev layer of the to-,

bacco shreds fed by the back feed belt 21 or equivalent and combed by the combing roll 55, gives rise to variations of density and distribution of shred length within the tooth spacesof the carding of the drum. In such circumstance, with the use of a picker-roll, such as the regulation picker roll 25 or the .like, it is desirable to discharge the carded tobacco shreds from the carded periphery of the main drum 11 substantially in the order of the tooth spacesas viewed horizontally ,V

as the pins of the picker roll 25 enter therein upon the conjoint rotation of the picker roll 25 and the downward travel'of the cardeddrum 11.

In addition to the above stated variations 2 of shred length, further factors tending to produce inequalities of dischargeinclude the lodging of therelativelyllong fibers about one or-more of theteeth of the carding-the placement of the long fibers in more than one row of the tooth spaces-as viewed peripherally variations of release from the tooth spaces when encountered by the pins of the picker roll arising fromdilferent peripheral speeds of. the pins-relative to that of the carding drum, different length'of picker pin" relative etc. 7

I have discovered that with the use of individually tensioned comb fingers, similarly as above set forth, such variations of release and discharge due to different shred lengths of the carded depot upon the carding drum to the elfectivelength of the carding teeth and other factors specified above and otherwise are minimized, and the distribution of c the shreds within the tooth spaces of the carding of the carding roll 11 is more uniformly preserved with the use of combs embodying my invention.

/V hen the cover 40 is removed for insepction, replacement or adjustment of teeth or other purpose, the removal'of the cover effects the removal of the individual springs 44, and similarly the replacementof the cover restores the individual springs in proper position relative to the respectivecomb finers. 1 It will further be observed thatthe under face of the bottom 35a serves a retainer to maintain the carded tobacco shreds within the'tooth spacing of the carding of the main drum 14 or equivalent," forlthis purpose if desired, the under face of the bottom may be concaved, corresponding to, or approximately to the effective periphery of the carding I lob the upwardly moving side of a carding drum or equivalent. 7

Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention,

I claim 1. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a casing, a plurality of individual comb fingers, and individual fulcrum means for said fingers respectively, said individual fulcrum means being carried by said casing.

2. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a casing, a plurality of individual comb fingers, individual fulcrum means for said fingers respectively, and resilient means fortensioning said comb fingers, said individual fulcrum means bein carried by said casing.

3. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a casing, a plurality of individual comb fingers, individual fulcrum means for said fingers respectively, and individual resilient means for individually-tensioning said comb fingers, said individual fulcrum means being carried by said casing.

4:. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of saidcardingdrum, and comb means for said sets of rows of'carding teeth, said comb means comprising a casing, a plurality of individual comb fingers, individual fulcrum means for said fingers respectively, a cover for said casing, and tensioning means 0p,- posed between said cover and said fingers for resiliently biasing said comb fingers, said individual fulcrum means being'carried by.

said casing.

5. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a casing, a plurality of individual comb fingers, individual fulcrum imeans for said fingers respectively, a cover forsaid casing, and res llent means earned by said cover forresiliently biasing said comb fingers, said'individual fulcrummeans being carried by said casing. 6. A tobacco feeder comprismg 1n combination, a carding drum of substantially cy- 7. A tobacco feeder comprising in combi nation, a carding drum of substantially cy-- lindrical contour, sets of'rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a hollow casing provided with a plurality of fulcrum seats, a. plurality of individual comb fingers having arcuate portions received within said fulcrum seats, and a cover for enclosing said fingers within said casing in fulcrum relation with said fulcrum seats respectively.

8. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a hollow casing provided with a plurality of fulcrum seats, plurality of individual comb fingers having arcuate portions received within said fulcrum seats, a cover, complementary fulcrum seats carried by said cover, and means for removably positioning said cover on said casing.

9. A'tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding of said carding drum, and comb means for said sets' of rows of carding teeth, said comb means comprising a hollow casing provided with a plurality of fulcrum seats, a plurality of individual comb fingers having arcuate portions received within said fulcrum seats, a cover, complementary fulcrum seats carriedby said cover, resilient means for said teeth arranged about the cylindricalsurface comb fingers carried by said cover, and means for removably positioning said cover on said casing.

10. A tobacco feeder comprising in combination, a carding drum of substantially cylindrical contour, sets of rows of carding teeth arranged about the cylindrical surface of said carding drum, and comb means for J said sets of rows of: carding teeth, said comb means comprising a hollow casing provided With a plurality of fillorumseats, a plurality y of individual v 00mb fingers having arcuate portions received Within said fulcrum' seats,

a cover, complementary fulcrum seats carried by said cover, individual resilient means for said comb fingers carried by said cover, andimeans for removably positioning said 10 cover on said casing. v

In testimony whereof I have signed this speoification this Sthday. of July, 1929.

V RUDOLF R. KABIGH. e 

